pool dust solved, A thanks will do!

Tom E · Postby **Tom E** » Thu 14 Jun, 2007 19:14

Pool Dust.
I hook up a water fountain to my return, that ended my pool dust.
I pick up the fountain at a local pool dealer for around $ 50.00.
I had a sand filter and I am using a DE filter now. I was still getting the poolbrown dust with the DE filter without the fountain hook up.
I am going to try the sock method. this has been going on for 3 years.
I will write back the results.
Tom E

kstacey · Postby **kstacey** » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 19:21

I FEEL YOUR FRUSTRATION WITH "POOL DUST" OURS STARTED ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO - THE 1ST YEAR WASN'T TO BAD, LAST YEAR IT GOT A LITTLE WORST - WE THOUGHT I WAS OUR EARTH FILTER KICKING BACK EARTH...EVEN HAD SOMEONE COME OUT AND LOOK AT THE "POOL DUST" HMM...DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, CHEMICALS PERFECT...WATER CRYSTAL CLEAR!!! MUST BE THE FILTER. HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS OVER THE WINTER (SEPERATE PROBLEM-MAIN DRAIN CRACKED AND ALMOST ALL THE WATER LEAKED OUT...FIXED CRACKED PIPE AND PER POOL SUPPLE CO. FILLED POOL UP..."DON'T WORRY ABOUT HOW GREEN IT IS...NO NEED TO DRAIN...JUST SPEND HUNDREDS OF $$$$'S TO GET IT CLEAR. ANY WAY POOL IS NOW CLEAR - PERFECT CHEMICALS AS I STATED BUT GUESS WHAT...POOL DUST AS YOU CALL IT IS BACK - EVEN WITH THE NEW FILTER, IN FACT IT SEEMS WORST. TRIED SOCK...AFTER A FEW DAYS RETURN WATER PRESSUER IS SO GREAT IT BLOWS A HOLE IN THE SOCK. WE HAVE TRIED VACCUMING SLOWLY, USED AN AUTOMATIC VAC. WHILPOOL AND TURN MAIN DRAIN ON. LOOKS GREAT FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR THEN WHEN WATER SETTLES..."BROWN DUST"!!!!! I AM GOING CRAZY!!!! THINKING OF JUST DRAINING THE POOL NEXT SEASON AND JUST STARTING OVER???? OFFERED TO PAY POOL SUPPLY STORE TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT PROBLEM...NO ONE MAKES HOUSE CALLS. DO I SOUND FRUSTRATED??? THAT SEEMS LIKE SUCH A SMALL WORD FOR THE CRAZY PERSON THIS POOL IS TURNING ME INTO!!! SOMEONE H E L P!!!!!!

pk4217 · Postby **pk4217** » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 22:03

"BROWN DUST"? are you guys using zeolite in brown color? I replaced zeolite(in green) for few customers since last year, all worked great and none of them had this problem.

according to my supplier, if you're replacing silica sand with zeolite, don't replace all the silica sand, left about 1/3 of the old silica sand in the bottom of the filter to cover the laterals and preventing the smaller zeolite entering the pool through the laterals. or you might get new set of laterals that is fine enough to support zeolite. same goes with new filter if it's not design for zeolite.

sand filter should only be filled to about 3/4 full, leaving space on top of it for trapped particles and backwash purpose. and after every few years(depends on how frequent you need to backwash it), you'll lost some filter media(sand or zeolite) due to backwashing, so you'll need to fill it up to about 3/4 full. I had just helped a new customer who had about 1/3 of the sand left in the filter after just 4 years, and it turned out he had a bigger pump for the filter, and every backwashing will push a lot of sand out of the filter.

after filling in the zeolite, you need to backwash and rinse it few times to remove the dust before setting to filter.

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Wed 25 Jul, 2007 10:32

I noticed that when I get those lovely piles of brownish powdery substance all around my pool what I have to do is fill the pool very high and while still filling it vacuum to waste, this will get alot of the stuff out without having to go thru the filter. When you are done, you will see a difference but because you will be shaking things up in the pool, after things settle again, you might have to do this one or 2 more times.

markswz1 · Postby **markswz1** » Thu 29 Mar, 2012 12:28

Lol !! ??I tried Condom ..it works fine ...

Zyriak · Postby **Zyriak** » Tue 01 May, 2012 07:39

A solution to this problem can be to try vacuming on rinse

then you suck up the fine-dust and pumps it right out of the pool

Just a suggestion

bear1962 · Postby **bear1962** » Fri 18 May, 2012 13:49

How do you get rid of the dust if you use a DE filter??

bobbob · Postby **bobbob** » Wed 08 Aug, 2012 03:16

Using a sock is the best method I have found too. I used to place a kitchen sponge inside the vacum bag, so the sponge sat over the water inlet. This would scoop up most of the dust but there would be a load that remained.

When I use the sock I fold it over the vacum water inlet so the toe and heel provide two layers of filtration. The water pressure from my hose is sufficient to keep the dust inside the sock, but not enough to push the sock off the vacum. All that needs done when finished is popping your sock in the wash, just remember to tell the wife why one white tube sock is in the wash!

GregoryG · Postby **GregoryG** » Thu 20 Jun, 2013 06:57

I have a 33' round above ground pool (3 years old). Had no trouble with the brown dust until this year. I was also told by the pool store I needed extra chemicals, pump repair, etc. I backwash weekly and ensure all the chemical levels are good. Still was getting the algae at the bottom of the pool. When I vacuumed the pool I was using the filer setting on the pump. Extremely stupid. After reading the manual for the pump, I began vacuuming the pool using the "Waste" valve on the pump. After the first vacuum, a much smaller amount accumulated in about 3 days. After vacuuming again, using the "Waste" valve, the algae disappeared AND HAS NOT RETURNED (3 weeks now). I hope someone out there will learn from my stupidity.....

tucsonJ · Postby **tucsonJ** » Tue 13 Aug, 2013 22:02

Hi.
I have seen some dust on the bottom of my pool too. There is a frog system on my pool. It is all enclosed and I wonder where I must install the additional filter and socks?

TucsonJ

beccadrln · Postby **beccadrln** » Wed 04 Jun, 2014 08:29

I have white water, I wasn't thinking when I added new sand to sand filter did not back wash the dust out just turned it on. Ran it for 20 hours then let it set hoping it would settle so I could vacume to waste out, It never settled. So I am now trying the sock Idea hoping it will catch the white sand dust.

aquaman28 · Postby **aquaman28** » Thu 05 Jun, 2014 23:25

The dust you are all talking about is the Kool Deck delaminating. After about 5 years your kool deck will begin to loose a small dust...if it is really bad you will see little sparkles on kool deck. It just needs a little wind and its in your pool.

Poolman1abe · Postby **Poolman1abe** » Wed 03 Sep, 2014 16:16

Kudos to Debbie for using a sock, I will do you one better, I have been using polyester pillow batting (you can get it really cheap at Walmart) to enhance filtration on my fish tank for years, and when I ran into the dust problem on my pool (I live in a windy area so this is a daily affair) I decided to try this, so I grabbed a good size piece of the material and rolled it up somewhat tight and stuffed it into the vacuum collector right before the exit towards the pump, and it works so nice that the filter doesn't get dirt in it, heck it might be a better filter than the actual filter

Anton · Postby **Anton** » Fri 12 Aug, 2016 00:37

I have another answer. I bought a 2500l jojo tank. I took a 40km pipe from the backlash outlet of the pool pump to the book tank. So when I backwash, rinse or waste the water goes directly into the book tank. Wait 5 days for the fine dust to settle at the bottom of the tank then you let the clean water back into your pool. You save a lot of water too. I just did it and it works perfectly.
I tried the socks but the dust was even too fine for that.

suca98 · Postby **suca98** » Sun 11 Jun, 2017 12:34

After reading everyone's post. I have an intex 18x4 easy set pool. I took my water vacuum (the ones that you attach the hose to, not the ones that run through your filter about $22 at lowes or walmart). I attached a thick white sock, over top I placed panty hose [dress sock kind] and the regular mesh bag on top. A triple filter. I cleaned all the brown sand/dead algae off the bottom of the pool yesterday...today I expected to have to vacuum again, but it's still gone. The first sock was green, the second nylon sock caught the rest and the "cloud" that usually comes out when you vacuum the bottom. It's gone and I'm a happy pool owner.